


Always and Forever

by HalRose



Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Angst, Destroy Ending, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hospitals, Hurt/Comfort, Interspecies Relationship(s), Interspecies Romance, Medical Trauma, No Shepard Without Vakarian, Romantic Fluff, Shakarian - Freeform, Shepard lives, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:54:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24523411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HalRose/pseuds/HalRose
Summary: Shepard survives the ‘Destroy’ Ending. She wakes up to find a familiar face by her bedside.
Relationships: Female Shepard/Garrus Vakarian
Comments: 3
Kudos: 31





	Always and Forever

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kallonimo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kallonimo/gifts).



**Athena**

The pain is unbearable. It feels like I’m being ripped open, only to be put back together again – kind of like what Cerberus did to me, except this time I’m aware of it.  
All I can hear is my own screaming as I succumb to the pain.

I’m trying to remember what a pain-free life feels like. All around me I see the faces of the thousands of people who fell in the line of duty before me. I see Ashley, I see Mordin… I see David Anderson and the Illusive Man,   
The Illusive Man seems to mock me, to taunt me… but I know it’s not him talking. It’s just my memories of him under the Reaper’s control.  
I shot Anderson. God, The Illusive Man made me do it, but I hate myself. He died, saying how proud he was of me…

I want to wake up, I want to get back to my life. I promised Garrus I would… Oh no. Garrus,  
I told him I loved him, I told him I would find my way back to him… and then everything exploded.

We won the war. I know that much, but I can’t seem to wake up. I keep calling out for Garrus, for anybody… but nobody comes.  
I’m alone in the darkness, within my own mind. I must be healing, I must be alive… but where I am, I do not know.

Then I hear voices, and I find myself calling out to them – desperate. The pain takes a turn for the worse… and then I am warm.  
And I open my eyes.

The smell of a hospital is nothing new to me, but I can’t help but groan at the pain.

“Shepard, everything is going to be alright.”

That voice. I turn my head and he’s there, in all his glory. My Garrus. The Garrus Vakarian.

I reach out for him, but all that comes out is a scream, and that alerts the medics. Garrus holds me as they start working on me, and I ask what has happened.  
Garrus tells me they found me under the rubble and I was treated in London before being transported to the Citadel.  
He’s slightly shaking, I can feel him try and tense up but he’s probably never heard me scream before.. well, not like this anyway.

The meds start to work and tears starts running down my face. Garrus lets go, but takes my hand and lets me rest against the comfortable hospital bed.

“Don’t ever scare me like that again.” Garrus almost chokes on his words. “I almost lost you again…”

“I…” I keep pausing in-between breaths, my eyes only on him as the Medics tell Garrus to keep an eye on me, like he probably has been for however long I’ve been here. “Love you… and I am glad to see you… you tough son of a bitch…”

I can’t help but laugh, and I start feeling numb, grabbing Garrus’ hand for support.   
I hate showing how weak I am. I hate showing my vulnerable side, But Garrus has seen it all, he’s been there for me since the very beginning.. and he’s my best friend and the Turian I want to spend the rest of my life with.

“God, we need to get married already.” I mutter,

“I would marry you right here and now if you wanted us to.” Garrus replies, and I give him a look – but he is all too serious. “I love you, Athena Shepard.”

“What about Athena Vakarian? That sounds nice…”

“Wow, the meds are definitely working.” Garrus chuckles, he kisses my hand and does not let go.

I love him, I always will. Always and forever, and I know he feels the same way too.

I tell him the next day when I wake up, that I will marry him, even if I have to hobble down the aisle.  
He knows then, that I am serious too.

**Author's Note:**

> Short but sweet, thank you for reading


End file.
